A short Reddit video comparing Caldeum in Diablo 3 vs Diablo 4 is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason. If you played D3 back in the day, the spot is instantly recognizable. And although a few players noticed it before, for a lot of people, this was the first time seeing that Blizzard quietly brought back one of the series’ most iconic locations.
The area is hidden in the hills and easy to miss if you are just sprinting from quest to quest. But when you stop and take a look, it is clearly the ruins of the same palace and overlook from D3’s Act 2.
D3 Colors vs D4 Mood
Naturally, the video quickly turned into a broader debate: which version looked better?
A lot of players feel D3’s color palette gave the world more energy and made it easier to read at a glance. D4’s darker and more muted look often gets complimented for fitting the tone, but also criticized for being too washed out and hard to read. And plenty of players are still divided on which direction works best.
A few comments also pointed out something interesting:
“D3’s camera felt more open and gave better visibility, while D4’s more top-down angle makes the world feel flatter and less immersive.”
And of course, as always, the topic of Whimsyshire and flying poison bugs made a return, too.
Just look at the map:
Nostalgia or Selective Memory?
The post hit a bit of a nerve, not just about visuals, but about the games in general. Some players are starting to look back on Diablo 3 with more appreciation.
- “We didn’t know how good we had it.”
- “D3 wasn’t perfect, but it had a lot of charm.”
- “It took five years, but it got really good.”
- “Compared to D4’s launch, D3 started in a better spot.”
Of course, there are still plenty of players who think D3 looked like WoW and had way too much cartoon energy. But at this point, that is just part of the cycle – every Diablo game gets hated at launch, then loved once the next one shows up.
Caldeum, Alcarnus, and More
Players also started pointing out other callbacks that are tucked into Diablo 4’s world, like:
- Alcarnus, now a stronghold
- Zoltun Kulle dungeons
- Lore references to Tristram, which may appear in a future expansion
- Kurast Docks (which returned in the game with Vessel of Hatred) in D4 vs D2.
It is easy to miss these things during the grind, but when you do slow down and look around, there is some really great world-building going on, especially if you have been around since Diablo 2 or Diablo 3.
You can check out the full comparison video and community reactions here on Reddit:
Also worth noting: Caldeum is just one of several places in Diablo 4 that call back to older games. There are other zones, places, and names scattered across the map that hint at past titles. But since this one recently came up again, and because Caldeum is such a standout memory for a lot of D3 players, we figured it was worth highlighting.